On The Eleventh Day Of Christmas
Criminals will often take advantage of the spike in online traffic at Christmas by launching a range of different scams to con us out of money or steal our personal details.
It’s important to remember that fraudsters don’t care if they ruin your Christmas, they will go to any lengths necessary to get what they want. Your identity and personal information is extremely valuable to criminals. If they can get hold of your name, address, phone number or banking details, they can use this information to steal your identity and commit fraud.
It’s always worth being mindful that authentic retailers will only ask you to make payment by card or using services such as PayPal. If you’re asked to make a money transfer or to “wire” funds then alarm bells should be ringing.
You should always research sellers before you make a purchase and never directly transfer funds, even if an item is “low stock” or it’s the “only way to guarantee delivery”. Fraudsters love money transfers so it’s advisable that you stick to recommended payment methods.
Sometimes scammers can claim that you need to send payments upfront to cover “taxes” or “processing”. They can be very convincing so be wary of their attempts to create a sense of urgency to prompt you into action.
To protect yourself from being scammed this Christmas:
- Always use secure websites
- Use strong passwords
- Don’t click on links or open attachments from unknown sources
- Check bank statements regularly
- Update your security software
MetaPhish provides a powerful defence against phishing and ransomware attacks by training employees on how to identify and respond appropriately to these threats. Get in touch for further information on how we can help protect your business.
